Under the headline "Here's why baseball's economic system might be broken," writer Jeff Passan analyzes potential causes for the slow free-agent market, including whether owners are guilty of collusion.

Not surprising, MLB rejects that theory, going so far as issuing a statement to Yahoo Sports: "There are a variety of factors that could explain the operation of the market. We can say that without a doubt collusion is not one of them. It's difficult to pinpoint a single cause, but it certainly is relevant that an agent who has a long track record of going late into the market controls many of the top players."

The agent? Scott Boras, who, Yahoo notes, represents first baseman Eric Hosmer, outfielder J.D. Martinez, pitcher Jake Arrieta and third baseman Mike Moustakas, all top as-yet-unsigned free agents on this offseason's market. Boras is one of the top agents in the game and is willing to pull any lever necessary to wring out the top dollar for his clients. That's his job, after all.

Connect the dots to this nugget in Yahoo's piece about one unidentified top free agent: He purportedly is prepared to sit out the first half of the 2018 season if he doesn't get a deal to his liking. Per Yahoo's Passan:

Recently, one of the best free agents available this offseason met with a friend, and he admitted something shocking: He was preparing to sit out until the middle of the season. The market for his services this winter was so thin, the offers so incompatible with his production, that he worried he was going to need an external force to compel teams to pay him what his numbers say he's worth. Maybe it would take a playoff race.

The context for this winter is that MLB and the players union will begin in the coming years negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement for the one that expires after the 2021 season. Teams are experiencing record profits, owners are soaking in new revenue streams and the players are … not happy.

It's worth taking the time to read Yahoo's deep dive into the current state of baseball's economics, not to mention its balance of power.

"The fight is just beginning," Passan writes, "and as the sides dig in and consider the consequences, they're not sure conflict can be avoided."